4. Tuned in: Moving as one and the joy of listening to others through CI.
Age Range or Target Group| Could target youth/teenagers and adults of any age who do not experience severe physical constrains. Depending on needs and aims, the workshop can be implemented on a specific age group or with mixed ages. If physical or mental constrains exist, facilitators should be aware of them and know if and how to adjust the activities to the participants’ needs. In regard to target group, as the projects depicts, both EU citizens/natives and immigrants/refuges/asylum seekers should participate in the workshop. The workshop is open to people from any socio-economic background and it is desirable to have as much variety as possible within the group.
Number of participants| 10-20 participants. If the workshop is happening with more than 20 participants, more time should be given for each activity and maybe the help of another facilitator will be needed.
Duration| 1h- 1h30m.
General Aim- Objectives| Aim of this workshop is to work on participants’ interpersonal and communicational skills and as an effect to increase their self-esteem and self-confidence. In order to achieve this, the workshop makes use of basic CI exercises that highlight the sense of giving and receiving weight and focus on the movement coordination between partners. This workshop is an opportunity for people from different backgrounds to have contact with others not only by sharing the same space or by verbally communicating. This workshop achieves contact between people also through the body. Participants in this workshop will be responsible for themselves and others and at the same time they will feel safe, trusting that others will also take care of them.
Key Words & Phrases| readiness, empowerment, interpersonal relations, mindfulness, movement, contact, improvisation.
Instructions (Step by Step Process) |
A. Greeting and Introduction to the workshop (5-10 minutes)
B. Warm up (15-20 minutes)
B1. Move across the room: a. The participants are asked to spread out and start walking across the room. They walk at normal speed across different directions. Be careful not to use repetitive partners or to move in circles. Use the whole room, all the directions. After a while, introduce the idea of walking between two other participants, of walking backwards, sideward etc. Gradually start speeding up and running across the room keeping the same principles as before. During this exercise, asked from the participants to be careful of their surroundings and the other participants. b. Keep moving, the participants are now instructed to allow to have contact with the other participants. That is, when their routes are met, they can allow contact, gently push each other and see how this changes their direction. They then continue walking, going from interaction to interaction. For further information refer to the Resources section.
B2. Fallers and Saviours: a. While keep walking, the facilitator instructs the participants that whenever one person wants, they can start falling on the floor. When a person starts falling, the other people have to respond immediately, trying to catch them and put them back standing. They then continue walking to their way. If they do not make it in time to save him, the faller rolls on the floor gently and stands up again, continuing walking.
b. They are now divided in two groups, the fallers and the saviours. Fallers are spread in one side of the room, Saviours are lined up on the other side of the room. Fallers can decide whenever they want to start falling. The saviours have to immediately run to save the person/people who happen to fall that time. They save them and go immediately back to their lines to be ready for another person who might start falling.
c. Participants now go in partners. Partner A is the faller and partner B is the saviour. Partner A can try to fall in all possible ways they can think of and partner B can save them in any way they think possible. Using different body parts, catching the faller with different ways etc. It is important that when the faller initiates a falling, they will be able to save themselves if for some reason the saviour does not manage to save them. Explore the idea for a couple of minutes and then switch roles. For further information refer to the Resources section.
C. Main Part (30-45 minutes)
C1. Feeling the push: a. In couples, Partner A stands still, with slightly bended knees and core tight in order to be more stable. Partner B starts to push with their hands different places of Partner’s A body. Partner A remains focus and feels the touch. Partner A puts resistance to where they feel they are being pushed.
b. Now Partner B instead of only using pushing, they can use different qualities with their hands: try touching, gliding, pulling, pushing. Partner A puts resistance to where they feel they are being pushed. If they are being touched, or a hand is gliding through their body, they focus on it. If they are being pulled, they put resistance to this pulling in order to remain stable. Be careful not to exaggerate in the effort so that you avoid injuries.
c. Now, partner B tries all these qualities in Partner’s A body, but not only with their hands. Try to use different body parts: elbow, feet, torso, head, shoulder etc. Explore the idea for a couple of minutes and then switch roles. For further information refer to the Resources section.
C2. Travel in contact: For this activity the same principles as above are being implemented. The difference is that in this activity, Partner A is not a mere receiver. They react, and they collaborate with Partner B to create a dance of push and pulls with their partners. Their aim is to travel from one side of the room to the other while maintaining contact. To do so, they have to keep giving and receiving weight from their partners. Repeat a couple of times. For further information refer to the Resources section.
Note: If the workshop is being implemented as part of the series of the CI workshops, try to remind to the participants what they have been experiencing throughout the previous workshops and encourage them to use those skills and principles that they have already acquired.
C3. Handstand Partners: The exercise is done in partners and participants can change partners for it. Partners face each other with approximately 40-50 cm between them. Partner A performs a handstand and partner B is ready to receive their feet, support them and help them stabilise. Partner B then leaves them gently and Partner A returns to the floor. This exercise needs some practise for participants to familiarise with it. Allow time and practise and even repeat it a couple of times across workshops. When couples are comfortable with this movement they can move a step forward. When Partner A performs a handstand and Partner B supports them, Partner B then hugs them from their core. They both then exhale together and Partner B lifts partner A up. Partner B then gently puts Partner A back to the floor and partner A use their hands to land and to then return to a standing position. Be careful when returning to a standing position to slowly unroll their back. For further information refer to the Resources section.
D. Closure/Calm down (20-30 minutes)
D1. Group balance: The whole group comes together in a circle and give hands to each other. All of them exhale together while going to the floor. Maintain hand contact, exhale again while standing up. Repeat a couple of times, emphasising on breathing.
D2. Breathing and brief stretching
D3. Debriefing – Suggested questions for initiating the debriefing section of the workshop: How did you feel during the workshop? Was there anything that made you feel discomfort or extremely comfortable? How did you felt when you were in contact with someone else’s body and traveling? How was they experience of being lifted/lifting? What was the most enjoyable moment for you? Can you relate any of your feelings stemming from the workshop with your daily life? How did you feel about moving without a choreography? What does that tell you about real life? How was the experience of coordinating with someone without verbal communication?
Desirable Outcomes and Competences| Through this workshop, participants will work on their physicality and body awareness. They will be in alert and behave spontaneously for the purposes of some exercises, thus working also on their self-confidence, since performing an unplanned behaviour demands believing in one’s capabilities and skills. The workshop through the “fallers and saviours” exercises work on issues of trust and responsibility towards other and make use of quick thinking, action and reaction. Travel in Contact exercises, work on skills of empathy and communication due to their high demand for cooperation and coordination between partners.
Photos and Videos deriving from the workshop’s applied process|
The videos are uploaded as unlisted in youtube website and their goal is only to provide educational material for this output. Please use the videos only for your own personal understanding of the workshops.
Materials| No special materials needed for this workshop.
Resources|
Feeling the contact relevant exercises:
Juri Schmidt, 2010. The point of contact – contact improvisation. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CekBZXsvvX8&t=181s on July 24.
Travel in contact relevant exercises:
Interkinected, 2013. Core connection/Sharing balance in improv. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcrbIdY3HZc&t=123s on 2018 July 24.
Handstand relevant exercises:
Abundant Life (2014, November 26). Partner Handstand Acro Yoga. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jx36UHMGKyg
Fir for a Feast (2014, January 2). Handstand Tutorial – More Tips and Partner Help – Part Two. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wx1XNj9nzVE
Group Balance Activity:
International HIV/AIDS Alliance (2002). 100 ways to energise groups: Games to use in workshops, meetings and the community.
Media and Techniques| The workshop was based on CI classes, the theory of Intergroup Contact, scientific articles about the political and social power of CI, books about breathing techniques and videos available online and offline.
Tips for the educator| This workshop is better if is being implemented as part of the series of CI workshops. Specifically, this could act as the fourth workshop of this series. However, it can be also implemented independently. This workshop can be implemented to the same participants a couple of times. Due to its nature, the repetition of this workshop, can lead to greater realisations and develop certain skills further. If participants need more time to familiarise themselves with certain exercises allow them time and do not worry about not managing to go through all the exercises of the workshop.
Questions for Evaluation|
1. How did you find the exercises of the workshop?
2. Is the level of difficulty for the exercises appropriate both for facilitator and participants?
3. Are there any suggestions you would like to make?
4. Any other comment/question?